My concern is if the ice will have an effect on the Men. So far the worst have happened to Pairs Men supporting the weight of their partners, and Trankov has blamed the ice as too fresh and to crack easily. How will happen with Men landing quads with the force of a refrigerator?

Yikes...I think Patrick has a very, very bad draw. Skating too early is never a good thing whether it's CoP or 6.0. If he skates well, his competitors will go all out to try to catch him. If he skates poorly, I can see his competitors will change strategy and go for clean and safe.